7 green games for Earth Day

Earth Day is a time to reflect on how wonderful our planet is and what we could be doing to take better care of it, whether it’s planting more trees, donating to a favorite eco-charity, or learning more about animals and plants. Here’s a roundup of 7 games to help you “go green!”

Plan It Green

In this building sim you’ll see if you have what it takes to put the “green” back in Greenville, a city suffering from heavy pollution. Manage resources to build structures like solar panels and wind turbines, install traffic-calming speed bumps, and initiate bike-to-work projects to achieve the perfect balance of profitability and eco-friendliness. (Download for PC)

(lil) Green Patch

There are dozens of Facebook games about tending virtual gardens and crops, but here’s one that actually impacts the real world as well. As players earn, plant and trade flowers for their virtual nurseries, real-world sponsors – like the Nature Conservancy’s Adopt An Acre program – donate money that goes towards saving the real rainforests. To date, according to the developer, more than 183,244 acres of rainforest have been saved so far. (Play on Facebook)

Eco MatchThe best way to learn is by having fun, and that’s what this game is all about. Travel the world as the leader of the World S.A.F.E. Organization and learn about environmental issues like endangered species, deforestation and industrialization while solving more than 100 match-3 puzzle levels. (Download for PC)

Safari SketchMatch tiles to complete sketches of various protected and endangered plants and animals that will be placed in a journal, where you can learn interesting facts about their habitats and conservation status. The best part? Every time the game is purchased, $2 is donated to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. (Download for PC)

RecycloramaTake charge of a recycling plant in this fast-paced time management game, where it’s your job to sort, clean and compact the cans, plastics, glass bottles and paper products that roll down the conveyor belt. (Download for PC)

Big Tree DefenseThis tower defense game offers a grim glimpse into the future: set on an Earth that has been ravaged by deforestation, your only defense against a horde of invading space insects is to plant new trees – and lots of them! (Play this Flash game online)

Lorax Garden

We couldn’t let a “green” roundup go by without including a game that was inspired by Dr. Seuss’ classic environmentally-conscious children’s book, The Lorax. Taking to heart the author’s warning at the end of the book: “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not,” the game puts you to work raising your own trees and flowers to rejuvenate the environment. (Download for iPhone/iPod Touch)